Ship&#39;s life-saving apparatus



April 8, 1930. J. KELLY SHIPS LIFE SAVINGAPPARATUS IS Sheets-SheetOriginal Filed July 5, 1927 fev. [L]

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SHIPS LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Original Filed July 5, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2W/TNL-:ss NVENTOR. fa/M m. Joseph, Kel/y April 8, 1930. l' Y J. KELLY1,754,213

SHIPS LIFE SAVING' APPARATUS Orgal Filed July 5, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ol o I mum" Patented Apr. 8, 1939 TENT GFFIC JOSEPH KELLY, `Olli BOOTLE,ENGLAND vsnrrs Lrrn-snvme APPARATUS Application filed July 5, 1927,Serial No.` 03,609, and in `Grreat rtain July 10, 1926. Renewed FebruaryThis invention has reference to the saving of life on shipboard, and hasfor its primary object to provide simple means `or appliances whereby abuoyant `or floatable structure may 5 be readily and conveniently, andWithall lirmly, secured to a ships deck, or the like, and rapidlydetached or disconnected therefrom should occasion arise.

I-n theapplication of my invention to the provision of means for saviilgthe lives of the crew of a submarineressel if andwhen submerged andunable to rise to .the vsurface of the Water, I provide a chamber fofvsuitable materia-l, size vand shape -or configuration and slidablycarry or support in opposite `Walls or sides-and preferably near the`licor-- thereof, rods or shafts of suitable diameter for the intendedduty anclof such length that a portion of each, `exterior to theIol'ramber., may be engaged with "and "so anchored to a bollard, bridle,bracket, or the like, fixedly secured to the deck `of the vessel, whilsta portion of each rod or sha-ft entends into .the interior of thechamber, so that said rods or shafts may be Withdrawn or disconnectedfrom their holding-down devices from Within the chamber.

When the chamber is positioned iby the means before described on thedeck of a subemarine vessel, a manhole provided in the former will be inalignment or register with a manhole provided in the deck of the latter,suitable provision being made for inaking and maintaining watertightjoints.

5 Therefore, should the vessel when submerged be unable to rise, thecrew will enter lsaid chamber (in which there may be stored only gen,rockets, food, et cetera) from the submarine vessel, and, afteretlecting Water- --3 tight closure of the manhole by means of a door orplate,"v`vill Withdraw `said rods or shafts from said exteriorholdingdown de vices" by inea-ns of suitable tackle which will ensuresimultaneous release ofthe rods or 5 shafts from the holding-downdevices on v'the deck, so that said chamber `with the occupants will vbeJfree to rise -to the `surface of the Water; i Suitable stops may beprovided on said adjustable Arods or shafts yin-c`n"d r 'to limit andcontrol the longitudinal movement of same through `the sides or wallsIof the chamber,'and the chamber apertures Wherethrough said rods orshafts pass Will be made Watertight by means .of suitably packed glands,or the like. A hermetically sealed belt, yor compartment, orcompartments, may be provided Within or Without said chamber in order toenhance the `buoyancy thereof.

.A conning tower of appropriate construe tion may be 4releasably securedto asu-bmw rino vessel in the .manner hereinbefore .described. l

In the application ofmy invention `to ships generally, an appropriatelyconstructed house, or like structure is provided on a deck of the vesseland detachably anchored thereto, in the manner before described, beingreleasable, if desired, from the inside of the buoyant structure, or byprojection of `said rods or shafts inwardly from the outside of thestructure.

Life-boats may also be detachably `secured in position in the mannerdescribed.

In ythe accompanying sheets of eiplana-` tory drawings, there areillustrated, by v`vvay of examples only, various modes of carrying myinvention into effect.

In said dravvings F ig. l is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a partsectional plan, of a submarine vessel provided With a lifesaving chamberembodying my invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section of Va chainber of modiiied construction.

Figs. 4l and 5 are elevations, taken at right angles to each other,illustrating the application of my .invention to the holding down of aships life-boat.

Figs. 6 and 7 are views of steaniship and submarine vessel respectively,provided With ymy improvements.

In the several views? like characters of ref# e-rence denote like orequivalent parts Where ever they occur.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2, l

l designates a steel chamber in opposite Walls la' near the floor -lbwhereof areprovided bearings .2 in which. are fslidably dis-A posed rodsor shafts 3. The outer portienef nio each rod or shaft 3 is adapted toenter the eye 4 of a bridle, bracket, or other suitable holding-downdevice 5 which is secured to the deck 6 of a submarine vessel 7, whilstthe inner end of the shaft 3 is pivotally connected at 8 to the lowerend of a rod 9 which extends upwardly to and lis connected with a shaft1() revolubly mounted in bearings 11 provided at the upper endofchamber 1. Connected to each shaft 10 near the wall 1c of chamber 1 isan end of a rod 12 to the inner ends of which rods are attached ends ofa suitable flexible connection 13 which is led over a ring or eyelet 14Vsecured to the wall 1c of` a the chamber and hangs downwardly as shownin Fig. 1. It will, therefore, be seen that by pulling said connection13, with consequent operation of rods 12, shafts 10, and rods 9, saidshafts 3 are simultaneously actuated, being moved inwardly, andwithdrawnfrom engagement with the eyes 4 of brackets 5. Rubber washers 15backedby stop nuts 16 are provided on the shafts 3 so that watertightsealing of the chamber is eii'ected when "i the shafts are either intheir projected or retracted positions.

A sunk portion 6a of deck 6 of the sub-` marine vessel 7 has a manhole17 which may be closed by means of a hinged plate or cover 18 secured byswing bolts 19, awater-tight joint being effected by the packing ring20. l Bolted to the upper face of said sunk portion 6a and surroundingthe manhole 17 thereof, is a flanged ring 21 the inner face whereof isscrew-threaded, and bolted tothe Hoor 1b of the chamber 1 is a bush orsleeve 22, kthe interior whereof is screw-threaded.

Screwed through said bush or sleeve 22 and engaging the screw-threadedring 21 is tubular member23 to the upper flanged portion 23n whereof ispivotally connected a manhole cover 24 adapted to be secured by means ofswing bolts 25.

26 denotes a water-tight joint-making packing ring located between thelower face of thev flange 23aL of the tubular member 23 and the ange 22aof the bush or sleeve 22; and 27 is a packing ring disposed between themanhole cover 24 and the upper face of the flange 23a of tubular member23.

The pitch of the screw-threading is preferably such that less than afull turn of the tubular member 23 will ensure its release from thescrew ring 21 secured to the sunk deck portion 6a ofthe submarine.

Should the submarine vessel become submerged and unable to rise to thelsurface of the water, the manhole covers 18` and 24 are opened-asindicated in dotted lines Fig. 1 so that the members of the crew maypass from the submarine vessel 7 through the manhole 17 and tubularmember 23, into the chamber 1. If then the manhole cover 24 be closedand secured in alwater-tight manner by swing boLts 25 and the tubularmember,V

submarine vessel and rise to the surface of the water, when manholecover 29 provided withV a Vwater-tight joint-making packingv ring 30,may be opened.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the chamber is composed ofdouble walls having an air space 31 between same.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown a. life-boat32 which is detachably held on the curved deck of the vessel by means ofslidable shafts 3 portions of which extend into the boat andare'operated through rods 33 by means ofa pivotal handle 34 to whichsaid rods are connected. In order to facilitate the launching of theboat, there is provided an apron-like member 35 pivotally connected tothe ship at 36. Vhen the life-boat is to be launched, apron 35 islowered by means of ropes 37 to the position shown in full lines Fig. 5,and the boat, which has slots 32 in the keel 39-,wh`erein projectingmembers 40 of the apron 35 engage-is slid down `the apron, beingcontrolled by the tackle 41.

It will be seen that lshould the vessel take a list in the direction ofthe arrow (Fig. 5) the launching of the boat will not .be interferedwith or prevented. y

In Fig. 6 the chamber,-adapted as a deck house-together with thelife-boats 32 of the kind described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, areshown fitted on the deck of a steamship 42.

In Fig. 7 the chamber is fitted on the deck 6 of the submarine vessel 7What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In safety structures for ships, submarines and the like, wherein abuoyant carrier may receive and transport human life from the vesselwhen submerged, and wherein the buoyant carrier is normally mounted onthe deck of thev vessel, a buoyant carrier having its opposite sidewalls each carrying a rod-like member movable endwise within definitelimits and adapted to prevent leakage of water into the carrier when ineither extreme of its movement; means within the container for shiftingsaid rod-like members concurrently,` said means including rockshafts andlevers forming a unit individual to the respective rod-like members, anda connection for said units to provide concurrent movement of the units;individual members carried by the deck to receive the outer ends of therod-like members when the latter are projected; and hatchway meansoperativelyjand detachably connecting they 13e/reis carrier and Vesselapproximately central of the bottom of the carrier, said latter meansincluding a tubular member permanently carried by the carrier andsupporting the carrier hatchway cover, and a ring-member Carried by theVessel, With said members complement-ally threaded for quick detachment,said tubular member forming the passageway between vessel and carrier,with the vessel having a hatchWay cover for the Vessel end of' thetubular member.

2. A structure as in claim 1 characterized in that the Vessel has adepressed deck zone to receive the ring member of the hatchWay means,the bottom of the carrier being substantially free from projectionsother than the tubular melnben, vwhereby the bottom Wall of the carrierWill normally rest upon the deck of the vessel.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification.

JOSEPH KELLY.

